Substrate composition determines emergence success and development of European nase larvae (Chondrostoma nasus L.)

European nase (Chondrostoma nasus) is a specialist riverine fish, characterised by a complex life cycle making it vulnerable to habitat degradation. Recent findings indicate that, analogously to salmonids, the interstitial zone quality may pose a serious bottleneck for successful recruitment of this species. In this study, nase eggs were exposed to different substrate qualities. First, standardised substrate mixtures with differing fine sediment additions were used. Second, we tested different homogenous gravel fractions for their influence on egg development and emergence success. In both setups, substrate composition significantly affected emergence success, timing of emergence and larvae size at emergence. In the substrate mixtures, emergence was most successful in substratum with no fine sediment addition (98%) and decreased to 55% in substratum with 20% fine sediment addition. Emergence was most successful in the coarsest fraction (93%) and decreased to 47% in the finest fraction. Over all treatments, the time between hatching and emergence from substrate differed by up to 156 degree days, thereby indicating that free embryos of nase use the shelter of the interstitial zone for early ontogeny. These results suggest that a loose and porous stream bed can positively contribute to the development success of eggs and larvae and thereby potentially improve the recruitment of nase populations. It is thus important to consider the substrate and interstitial conditions in the conservation and restoration management of this rheophilic cyprinid.     

近30年渤海鱼类种群早期补充群体群聚特性和结构更替

基于30余年渤海鱼卵、仔稚鱼历史调查资料的整理分析并结合产卵场补充调查,以1982~1983年周年逐月调查资料为本底,采用多元统计学方法分析30余年渤海鱼类种群早期补充群体群聚特性(物种多样性和关键种群)的季节变化和年代际变化,并掌握结构更替过程中优势种和重要种协同消长规律。分析结果显示,渤海各调查季节(冬季除外)鱼卵、仔稚鱼种类数以及资源丰度指数呈先降后升变动趋势。当前鱼卵种类数仅为20世纪80年代1/2左右,资源丰度不足20世纪80年代的1/10;仔稚鱼种类数和资源丰度仅为20世纪80年代的3/4左右,但冬季仔稚鱼种类数和资源丰度指数呈现上升趋势。各调查时期相同季节鱼卵优势种变化不明显,但仔稚鱼优势种变化幅度超过鱼卵,底层重要经济种类早期补充群体优势度急剧下降;鱼卵和仔稚鱼物种多样性水平在升温季节较高而在降温季节较低,调查期内各季主要呈现先降后升变动趋势。鱼类早期补充群体种类更替现象明显,近年来种类更替率呈现明显加快趋势。各调查时期相同季节各适温类型产卵亲体种数均呈现先降后升变动趋势,但各适温类型种数所占比例和全年综合各适温类型种数所占比例基本稳定。各调查时期相同季节各主要栖所类型产卵亲体种类数也均呈现先降后升变动趋势,全年综合陆架浅水中上层鱼类种数所占比例升高,中底层和底层鱼类所占比例有所下降。近30年在多重外来干扰作用下,渤海鱼类早期补充过程各个关键环节已随其栖息地(产卵场)生境要素发生不可逆变化或变迁。渤海鱼类种群早期补充群体群聚特性和结构更替是环境-捕捞胁迫下鱼类群落内多重生态位的交替失调和渔业资源结构性衰退的具体表现。     

脊尾白虾不同发育期mtDNA拷贝数变化特征分析

为了解脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)在不同发育期线粒体基因组(mtDNA)拷贝数的变化特征，本研究共采集其8个时期(受精卵期、溞状幼体Ⅰ期、溞状幼体Ⅱ期、溞状幼体Ⅲ期、溞状幼体Ⅳ期、溞状幼体Ⅴ期、仔虾期和成虾期)的DNA样品，利用TaqMan实时荧光定量PCR技术，对上述各发育期单个细胞中的mtDNA拷贝数进行了测定。检测结果显示，脊尾白虾受精卵期、溞状幼体Ⅰ期、溞状幼体Ⅱ期、溞状幼体Ⅲ期、溞状幼体Ⅳ期、溞状幼体Ⅴ期、仔虾期和成虾期的mtDNA拷贝数的均值分别为2366、2648、2644、2873、3559、9948、6452和8872。进一步统计分析结果显示，mtDNA拷贝数与发育时间存在正相关性，相关系数为0.83。研究表明，随着脊尾白虾不断生长，其单个细胞中mtDNA拷贝数总体呈上升趋势。     

Responses of carbon metabolism and antioxidant system of summer maize to waterlogging at different stages

A field experiment was performed to explore responses of carbon metabolism, antioxidant system and endogenous hormone content of summer maize hybrids DengHai605 (DH605) and ZhengDan958 (ZD958) to waterlogging at the third leaf stage (V3), the sixth leaf stage (V6) and the 10th day after the tasselling stage (10VT). Results showed that waterlogging significantly decreased the contents of zeatin riboside (ZR), indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA), compared to those of CK. However, leaf abscisic acid (ABA) content was significantly increased by waterlogging at different stages, with the most significant increase was found in the treatment of waterlogging at V3 (V3‐W), with an increase of 30% and 29% for DH605 and ZD958, respectively. Waterlogging significantly decreased antioxidative enzyme activities, accelerating leaf senescence, resulted in the disorder of leaf gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. In addition, waterlogging decreased key enzyme activities of carbon metabolism (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase), with the most significant reduction in V3‐W, with a decrease of 46% and 49% for DH605, and 53% and 55% for ZD958, respectively. Visibly, waterlogging disturbed carbon metabolism, affected plant endogenous hormone content, accelerated leaf senescence and eventually resulted in a significant reduction in photosynthetic characteristic and grain yield. V3 was most susceptible to waterlogging, followed by V6 and 10VT.     

Biomass and Accumulation of Potassium,Calcium, and Magnesium in Gladiolus as Affected by Heat Units and Corm Size

In México, gladiolus is an important crop cultivated in the central part of the country. In ornamental geophytes, the size of bulbs is a critical factor, impacting plant growth and quality. The objective of the present study was to model the accumulation of potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) in gladiolus plants as affected by corm size (3.5, 3.0 and 2.5 cm). Regardless of corm size, total dry mass of plants accumulated in three different stages. The initial stage occurred during the corm sprouting phase and continued through the vegetative phase, ending either shortly before (plants from 3.5 cm corms), at (plants from 3.0 cm corms) or shortly after (plants from 2.5 cm corms) the heading phase. The second stage, on which the plants exhibited a rapid dry mass accumulation, occurred shortly before or shortly after the heading phase, finishing with the elongation of the flowering stem. The third stage showed the highest dry mass accumulation rate, coinciding with the elongation of the flowering stem and ending at the blooming of the spike. To complete all the phenological phases, gladiolus required 1818 heat units regardless of corm size. Not considering the nutrients provided by the corm, gladiolus required a total of 6.33, 5.59 and 5.01 mmol plant^?1 of K, 2.22, 1.69 and 1.38 mmol plant^?1 of Ca and 2.49, 2.00 and 1.68 mmol plant^?1 of Mg when grown from 3.5, 3.0, and 2.5 cm corms. At the beginning of the vegetative phase, plants tended to increase Ca content at the expense of K, whereas the proportion of Mg remained unaffected, however, between the vegetative and heading phases, the proportion of Ca declined while that of K and Mg increased. At the end of the study, the proportion of K was much higher than that of Ca and Mg, whereas the proportion of Ca and Mg was similar.     

Is it a hindrance for an invasive aquatic species to spread across scattered habitat patches?

1. Despite their importance for aquatic biodiversity, ponds are among the most vulnerable freshwater habitats. Owing to their isolation in terrestrial environments, ponds are expected to be relatively well protected from biological invasions, but this depends on many factors. 2. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a range of variables (water quality, habitat, and landscape attributes) on the colonization of discrete ponds by a widespread aquatic invader, the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, which can disperse overland. 3. Investigations were conducted in two networks of ponds, each located in close proximity to a large invaded marsh. The two marshes under study differed in the length of time since the crayfish were introduced. 4. The proportions of colonized ponds and crayfish abundances were moderate in both networks, but higher in the network that had been invaded first. In both networks the distance to the marsh was the main predictor of pond colonization, considering similar energy costs to cross aquatic and terrestrial habitats for the recently invaded network, but assuming that dispersal was 25 times costlier across the terrestrial matrix than via streams for the earlier invaded network. Pond characteristics had no influence on crayfish occurrence in either network. Furthermore, predictions of pond invasion were lower for the recently invaded network. 5. The importance of the distance to the marsh indicates that natural dispersal was the main process of pond colonization by crayfish. Findings also suggested that overland dispersal was rare and costly. By contrast, streams were probably significant in facilitating crayfish dispersal. Differences between the two networks might arise from an invasion process still in progress in the recently invaded network. 6. From a management viewpoint, local actions are encouraged to prevent the spread of crayfish via streams. In addition, broader‐scale actions to mitigate other human disturbances would improve the outlook for pond biodiversity.     

珠子参根茎发育特性及其切段繁殖的研究

[目的]研究珠子参根茎的发育规律,探索根茎繁殖的方法。[方法]通过对珠子参种子萌发过程和栽培植株生长期内根茎切片的观察,研究其根茎发生发育的规律;采用植物生长调节剂处理根茎切段,探索其根茎繁殖的方法。[结果]营养生长时根茎是单轴分枝的主杆,生殖生长时根茎成为合轴分枝式的侧枝。用50和100 mg/L的赤霉素(GA3)溶液、40和80 mg/L的6-苄胺腺嘌呤(6-BA)溶液均可使珠子参根茎的切段形成更新芽,但以40 mg/L 6-BA的处理为优,80 mg/L 6-BA的处理次之。[结论]该研究对珠子参规范化栽培措施的制订具有参考价值。     

Grain yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under long‐term heat stress is sink‐limited with stronger inhibition of kernel setting than grain filling

The aim of the study was to investigate source‐sink relations of wheat under continuous heat stress and to identify bottle necks of yield formation. A pot experiment was conducted in two climatic chambers exposing wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Thasos) either to day/night temperatures of 20/20°C (control conditions) or of 30/25°C (heat stress) during the whole vegetation period in the absence of plant water deficit. Plants were harvested at four phenological stages: three‐node stage (DC 33), start of flowering (DC 61), grain filling (DC 75) and maturity (DC 94). Heat stress shortened the development phases of the plants and caused a significant decrease in total above‐ground biomass between 19% and 41%. At grain filling and at maturity, the reductions in total shoot biomass mainly resulted from grain yield depressions by 77% and 58%, respectively. The ear number per plant was significantly higher under heat stress in comparison with the control, at maturity it was more than doubled. On the contrary, under heat stress, the kernel number per ear was strongly decreased by 83% and 75% during grain filling and at maturity, respectively. The decrease in individual kernel weight was 23% at maturity. Thus, the heat‐stressed plants were able to strongly increase the number of ear‐bearing tillers which were able to set only a small number of kernels, yet these kernels showed good grain filling. The harvest index (HI) of heat‐stressed plants was significantly reduced by 36% (control: HI = 50.1% ± 0.4, heat: HI = 32.2% ± 0.9***). The plants in the stress treatment adapted to the adverse conditions by less biomass production which presumably allowed a higher transpiration without an increase in total water consumption. Nevertheless, under heat stress, the water use efficiency (WUE_grain) was strongly decreased by 62% as a result of a small grain yield. In ears and grains, the sucrose, glucose and fructose concentrations were not significantly different between control and heat stress at start of flowering and during grain filling. Thus, the supply of assimilates was not restricted (no source limitation). Sink capacity was reduced by heat stress, as lesser and smaller kernels were produced than in the control. Concerning sink activity, the sink‐limiting step during kernel set is probably the active transport of hexoses across the plasma membrane into the developing kernels, which could also affect grain filling. This needs to be investigated in more detail in further studies.     

Prematurity and Dysmaturity Are Associated With Reduced Height and Shorter Distal Limb Length in Horses

The long-term effects of gestational immaturity in the premature (defined as < 320 days gestation) and dysmature (normal term but showing some signs of prematurity) foal have not been thoroughly investigated. Studies have reported that a high percentage of gestationally immature foals with related orthopedic issues such as incomplete ossification may fail to fulfill their intended athletic purpose, particularly in Thoroughbred racing. In humans, premature birth is associated with shorter stature at maturity and variations in anatomical ratios, linked to alterations in metabolism and timing of physeal closure in the long bones. We hypothesized that gestational immaturity in horses might similarly be associated with reduced height and different anatomical ratios at maturity. In this preliminary study, the skeletal ratios of horses with a history of gestational immaturity, identified through veterinary and breeder records, were compared with those of unaffected, closely related horses (i.e., sire, dam, sibling). External measurements were taken from conformation photographs of cases (n = 19) and related horses (n = 28), and these were then combined into indices to evaluate and compare metric properties of conformation. A principal component analysis showed that the first two principal components account for 43.8% of the total conformational variation of the horses’ external features, separating horses with a rectangular conformation (body length > height at the withers), from those that are more square (body length = height at the withers). Varimax rotation of PC1 and analysis of different gestational groups showed a significant effect of gestational immaturity (P = .001), with the premature group being more affected than the dysmature group (P = .009, P = .012). Mean values for the four dominant indices showed that these groups have significantly lower distal limb to body length relationships than controls. The observed differences suggest that gestational immaturity may affect anatomical ratios at maturity, which, in combination with orthopedic issues arising from incomplete ossification, may have a further impact on long-term athletic potential.